Wings Fall 09 - St. Scholastica Academy

Making a Difference. . . through a ministry of joy and hope
Jay & Catherine Weil
ENCORE PARENTS
By: Mimi Greenwood
Knight ‘78
If you call Jay and Catherine Weil when they’re not at home,
here’s what you’ll hear.The answering machine picks up to the
sound of saxophone music followed by the unmistakable
voice of Louie Armstrong crooning, “What a Wonderful
World”. Catherine joins him, asks for your name and
number—a pause—then, “And remember. It is a wonderful
world… Peace.”
Anyone who knows Catherine and Jay will tell you, it’s a
message they exude with everything they do. The world is
wonderful. And so is the God who made it.They’re that kind
of people—people who live out their Christian faith day to
day, moment by moment and deeply touch the lives of the
people they encounter.
The Weils became part of the St. Scholastica family when
their daughters, Natalie (2000) and Janell (2002), attended
the school. They served in many capacities including on the
school board where Catherine tackled the role of board
president. Their life’s mission—of bringing joy and hope to
others—synchronized beautifully with the spirit they found
on campus. “We knew we wanted a Catholic education for
our girls and SSA had a good reputation academically,” Jay
said. “But we were thrilled with how much more we found
there.”
“We appreciated the sense of community and the
camaraderie among the girls,” Catherine said.“One thing that
stands out at SSA is the selflessness and compassion of the
faculty.Teaching can be an arduous—sometimes thankless—
job.We found teachers who are focused on making an impact
in the life of each individual student and in their community
expecting nothing in return.”
“At SSA we found a village of faith that emphasized the same
family values we strive to instill in our daughters,” she
continued. “The teachers serve as role models of respect,
love and kindness to the girls every day. Jay and I sent our girls
to SSA because we thought it was the best place for them
but we had no idea how our lives would be enriched as well”
“When we look at the things and people we’re most grateful
for in our lives, we realize that many of them came through
our association with St. Scholastica. At SSA we’ve met
dedicated administrators we respect and admire, devoted,
self-less teachers and so many parents who share our values
and have become our friends.”
The Weils were one of many Louisiana families who lost
their home in Hurricane Katrina in 2005. When faced with
the task of rebuilding, they looked at it—as they do so many
things—as a way to share their blessings and their philosophy
with the world. They named their new home Gaudium et
Spec which is Latin for Joy and Hope.
“Joy and hope is what our community and our God gave to
us after Katrina,” Catherine said. “Jay and I figured that, if we
named our home Gaudium et Spec, it would be a reminder
to us every day to make that our mission—to bring the same
joy and hope to everyone we come in contact with.”
Two other pet mantras of the Weils are,“begin with the end
in sight and live in the moment.” It’s a philosophy they employ
in their volunteer time, in Jay's medical development firm, in
Catherine’s position as administrator of R&R Homecare, Inc.,
in their marriage of twenty-eight years, in raising their
daughters, Natalie, who will finish Tulane Med School in May
2010 and Janell, who graduated from LSU Law School in May
2009, and in life.“We’re all so blessed every day of our lives,”
Catherine said.“God has put us in a unique position to share
His love and His blessings with people.We wake up every day
grateful to be able to do that.”
We’re grateful to have the Weils as part of our school family.
6 D O V E W I N G S